Car-buffer construction.



T. WATKINS.

CAR BUFFER CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED 110112, 1909.

Patented May 14, 1912.

FIG.

WITNESSES.

.mmm' xwwb L UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS WATKINS, OF WILSON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO UHEL U. CARE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-BUFFER CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1912.

Application filed November 12, 1909. Serial N 0. 527,642.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS WATKINS, residing at Wilson, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Buffer Construction, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to car buffers; and it is particularly applicable to mining pit-cars and the like. Its object is the provision of means for preventing the lateral shift-ing of one buffer over another with consequent buckling or derangement of the cars of the train and not infrequent concomitant spreading of the track, when the operative faces of the buffers are caused to be brought together at an angle to one another; such angular disposition of the buffing faces being brought about when the cars, in taking the curve in the track, are caused thereby to assume tangential positions. This trouble is particularly present in the handling of mining pit-cars; the automatic pull or car haul generally engaging with a car or cars at an intermediate point in the train, resulting in an intimate bringing together of the buffers forward of such engagement, in which state they are easily shiftable one on the other when they are caused to be swung to an angular position with respect to one another as described above.

I will now describe my invention, referring to the accompanying drawings, so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may understand and construct the same, like reference numerals indicating like parts throughout the different views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the coupled ends of two pit-cars, and illustrating the operation of my improved buffer construction; the invention being shown as applied to the two side buffers of the car; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the buffer; and Fig. 8 is a plan view illustrating my invention as applied to a center buffer arrangement as distinguished from the side buffer arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the drawings, the reference numerals 2 indicate the coupled ends of two cars, having the usual platform or under frame extensions 3 on which the bufiers are adapted to be mounted.

My improved bulfer is indicated by the numeral 4:. It may be secured to the extension or sill 3 in any suitable manner. For this purpose, however, in the drawings I show the bolting flanges 5 and 6 which are adapted to embrace the sill 3; being provided with suitable depressions or counter sinks 7 which are adapted to receive the heads and nuts of the securing bolts.

The operative face of the buffer is indicated by the numeral 8 and comprises the straight portion 9 and the face 10, which face 10 is provided with the vertically or substantially vertically disposed shoulders or corrugations 11 by means of which sliding of the face of one buffer 011 another is prevented; the shoulders on the face of one buffer being adapted to interlockingly engage with those of the face of the next adjacent or opposing buffer of an adjoining car when such faces are caused to be brought into operative engagement with one another. This face 10 is preferably slightly beveled; its angular disposition being such as shall cause these faces of the opposing buffers to assume a position substantially in parallelism with one another when the cars are caused to be swung to an angular position as above described; such parallel disposition of the faces insuring effectual interlocking of the shoulders or corrugations when the buffers are caused to be brought into angular abutment with one another, as will be readily seen in Fig. 1.

The straight face 8 mentioned above forms the direct or general buffing face of the buffers when the cars are in alinement.

While in Figs. 1 and 2 I show my invention as applied to side buffer construction I do not desire to limit myself in this respect. For instance, as will appear by reference to Fig. 3, my invention may be embodied in a central buffer construction. In this latter view the body of the bulfer is provided with the inclined faces 10 vdisposed at opposite sides of the straight buffing face 9, which carry the shoulders 11. These faces and shoulders correspond in function respectively to the faces 10, 9, and shoulders 11 of the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

It will be apparent that many other changes may be made in the construction shown which would not be a departure from my invention; that my invention is appliset cable to other types of cars than mining or dump cars, and I do not therefore desire to limit myself thereto.

The advantages of my invention will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The device is simple in construction and effectual in operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A car buffer provided with a plurality of operative faces comprising a straight plain face disposed substantially in parallelism with the end plane of the car adapted to receive the buffer and a face disposed at an angle to the first named face and provided with a vertically disposed rib, the first named face being adapted to have straight bufling action with a similarly disposed face on an opposing car whereby the cars may be rendered free to slight lateral relative movement, and the second face being adapted to have operative association wit-h a complementary face on the opposing car only when the cars assume such angular position as to bring the first named faces out of straight bufling relationship.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS WATKINS. lVitnesses M. A. BARTH, M. ARTHUR KELLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

